Fire on the Ganges

Fire on the Ganges is based on seven to eight years of research on the Dom community of Varanasi, the Dalit sub-caste designated by tradition to perform the Hindu rite of cremation. The Doms own the sacred fire without which, it is believed, the Hindu soul will not reach liberation, yet they are condemned to the lowest rung of the caste hierarchy and treated as untouchables. Through tales of struggle and survival, betrayal and love, this first chronicle of their everyday lives tells the story of a community seeking a place beyond that accorded by ancient tradition.